Expansion plug for internal combustion engines



P 1941- s. E. PEARSON 2,256,217

EXPANSION PLUG FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed June 8, 1959 INVENTOR.

5/%/7gy E Pea/25w? ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 16, 1941 v b S TATES PATENT OF CE.

EXPANSION PLUG FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES I V isid ney E. Pearson, Kansas City, Kans. ApplioationJune8,1939, Serial No. 278,069

10mm. '(Cl.220-25) This invention relates to plugs for openings formed in walls of bodies such asinteinal combustion engines, tanks, boilers and similar devices where plugging the opening is possible only by introducing the closure from one side. I One of the important aims of this invention is-to provide an expansion plug for internal combustion engines that may be moved to position where but a limited amount of- 'space is available and where it is usually necessary to dismantle parts of the engine peer-se or the equipment associated therewith. 7

Heretofore plugs of the character embodying this invention have been driven 'or similarly forced to position and the inherent strength of the cover or wafer employed to hold the plug against accidental displacement. Leakage occurs around expansion plugs for internal combustion engines where the seal is not complete and positive. It is one of the objects of this invention to provide unique plug structure of the character which may be positioned without the use of special tools and that maybe anchored so that no objectionable projecting parts are present.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of an expansion plug of the aforementioned character which has an anchor composed of a pair of super-imposed parts, which parts are movable through the opening to be plugged when the anchor is collapsed.

A further aim of this invention is to provide a plug of the aforementioned character which has a specially formed and disposed stem, the nature of which presents a guide to the operator when the plug is being moved to the operative position.

Minor objects of the invention will appear during the course of the following specification, referring to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a view of a portion of an engine block having the expansion plug embodying this invention attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of an internal combustion engine in place, illustrating the plug along the section line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an inside face view of a portion of an engine block, illustrating the manner of disposing the anchor to hold the plug in place; and,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view through an expansion plug embodying a modified form of the invention.

Difiiculty has arisen in applying expansion plugs to internal combustion engines because of the limited amount of space left between parts of the automobile and the wall to which the plug is to be attached. The limited Space between engine block 8 and dash ID' of theautomobile is illustrated in Fig. 2. Obviously,- tools cannot be used in applying the plug since there is barely; space enough for the introduction of the operators hand between wall I2 and dash it]. Such situations will be found at other locations on engine block 8 and therefore the plug assembly embodying this invention becomes advantageous because of the ability to move the sameto the operative position without the necessity of disassembling parts to afford additional room.

Those skilled inthe art will readily understand that the expansion plug may be used in closing the openings through walls of tanks, boilers and other articles where it is impossible to reach the inner face for the purpose of attaching an anchor.

Wall I2 is provided with opening I4 and it is this opening which must be effectively sealed so that water l6 within the jacket of the engine 8 will not escape.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the plug comprises a recessed cover l8 formed of sheet metal and provided with a continuous annular flange 20, the inner face of which is in opposed relation to the outer face of wall l2 around opening l4.

The annular shoulder 22 formed between the bottom 24 of cover l8 and flange 20 thereof, is slightly less in diameter than the diameter of opening l4 and therefore, when cover I8 is in place, it is' secured against accidental lateral movement by this said shoulder 22.

Cover I8 has a perforation 26 at the axis thereof which passes the specially formed stem 28. A specially formed anchor is carried by one end of stem 28 and comprises a laterally extending head 30 which is rigid to stem 28 and which turns therewith. The other end of stem 28 has a laterally curved portion 32 which is in opposed relation with head 38. Thus, when the anchor is within the cavity beyond opening I4, it is possible for the operator to determine the exact position of head 30 by viewing the curved portion 32.

Finger 34 is mounted upon stem 28 adjacent to head 30. This finger is free to rotate about stem 28 and the action of gravity holds the same in a downwardly extending position, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 when the plus: is in place.

Stem 28 is screw-threaded along a greater portion of its length and a thumb nut 36 is in screwthreaded engagement with the threads on stem 28 for the purpose of drawing together cover l8 and elements 30 and 34 forming the anchor. Nut 36 is specially formed sorthat no part thereof will project beyond the cavity formed in cover l8. When nut 36 is forced to the operative position; shown in Fig. 2, the notch 38 formed in stem 28 is spaced outwardly. from the outer face of nut 36 and through its weakening action on stem 28, the curved portion 32 of the'stem may be broken away. V

A washer 40 is positioned between flange 26 and the outer face of wall I 2, and another washer 42 circumscribes stem 28 and lies between the inner face of nut 36 and the outer face of cover l8. Thus, opening I4 is completely sealed and the escape of 1 water from within the cooling jacket of motor 8 is precluded.

From the foregoing, it will be obvious that when nut 36 is adjacent to the curved end 30f; stem 28 and when head 38 and finger 34 are in superimposed relation, it will be possible to manipulate the plug assembly sothat the anchor will be within the cavity formed in engine 8. I

Turning the stem about its axis will readily dispose head 30 and finger 34 in the proper 0pposed relation by movingthe same through paths of travel indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. When parts 30 and 34 are sopositioned, nut 36 is tight ened and the cover I8 is securely held in place.

.An expansion plug embodying a modified form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. The perforated sheet metal dish-shaped'cover 50 is similar tothe 'one previously described and has a central perforation 52 formed therethrough.

Head '54. is a single strip of metal extending diametrically across the opening in wall 12' of the engine; This head-54z has a perforation 56 midway between the ends thereof through which passes the reduced length of coupling bolt 58. Bolt 58 has an annular shoulder 59' that bears against one face of head 54 when the parts are assembled and an internally threaded socket 60 extends inwardly from the end of larger diameter of bolt 58. This bolt 58 is externally threaded inwardly from both ends thereof and'a nut 62 bearsagainstithe other side of head 54.

,2 I V I e Wing nut 64 threaded upon the end of larger,

diameter of bolt 58 bears against the outer face of cover 50 and it is obvious from an understanding of the device as illustrated in Fig. 4, that a tightening of wing nut 64 will draw together all of the parts just mentioned.

When manipulating nut 64, bolt 58 sometimes accidentally turns. To preclude such action and to afiord a member with which to hold head 54 in place while cover 50 is being moved to the operative position, key 66 is provided, one end of which is externally threaded to fit into threaded socket 60. This key 66 is L-shaped and provides a handle for the operator to hold when the Wing nut is being manipulated.

Manifestly, expansion plugs of diiferent appearances than those illustrated in the accompanying. drawing may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described the.invention,what is claimedas new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is: a

A plug. for closingan'opening through the wall of an engine block or the.like,.comprising a dishshaped, perforatedcoverprovided with an annular flange adaptedto bear. against the marginal edge of the wall around the opening to be closed when the body ofpthe cover is within the opening;v a perforated head extendingsubstantially diametrically across the'open ingin spaced relation to the cover; a coupling bolt providedwith aninternally threaded, axial socket at one. end

thereofand means: att he other end for pivotally engaging the head at the perforation thereof; external screw-threads on the said bolt at the socketedend thereof; a nut on the bolt movable toward and from the outer face ofthe innermost portionof the cover; and an L-shaped key hav ing external screw-threads at one end'in'screwthreadedv engagement with the internal threads ofthebolt, said nut being below the plane of the annular flange when the same is forced against the cover.

SIDNEY E. PEARso 

